CITY VIEWS: WILL TAXING BEER REDUCE BINGE DRINKING?
GRAEME MATTHEWS | SYTNER GROUP
“No – personally I believe that would not affect the supermarkets and other sellers. You can buy champagne for £15 a bottle at the moment – at the end of the day the consumer is the one that controls the market. And any tax will only really hit the minority of users.”
TONY MASTERTON | ALLIANZ INSURANCE
“No I don’t. If people want to drink – and they do – then they will find a way of getting it, just like with cigarettes. You see a lot of down-and-outs across London that seem to be drinking high alcohol lagers – I’d love to know where they get it from.”
TREVOR REMEDIOS | GRC REINSURANCE
“I don’t think think a slight premium will affect people particularly. When people are drunk they will buy the beer regardless of any extra tax. And it wouldn’t stop people going to pubs and bars, because they go for other reasons than the price of the beer.”